This Is Our Song

by Samantha Chase

  Liar, liar, liar!

  Okay, maybe in her wildest fantasy, it had happened that way. But how often did fantasies come to life?

  What would have happened if they hadn’t gotten interrupted? Lord, she could only imagine. Reverting back to her fantasy version, they would have continued to kiss and then Matt would have whisked her back to his luxurious hotel room and made love to her all night long.

  Which would have made this meeting even more awkward than it already was—especially if he still didn’t remember her.

  Vivienne held no illusions—she would have had one night with the legendary Matty Reed, and then he would have left to move on to the next stop on the tour, and she wouldn’t have seen him again.

  Until now.

  The buzz of excitement from her promotion earlier was gone. With a sigh, she pushed her food around on her plate. She chanced a look at her brother and saw he was watching her intently. “What?” she asked.

  “We’re supposed to be celebrating, and I feel like I kind of ruined your night.”

  Bingo! Rather than make him feel bad—after all, he had no idea why exactly she was suddenly so quiet—she decided to try to turn it all around. “You didn’t, Aaron. Really. I just never expected this turn of events. I know how important it is for Matt to have his privacy and I don’t want to be the one to jeopardize it. I can wait a couple of weeks to move. I’m sure my landlord won’t mind.”

  Aaron reached out and covered one of her hands with his. “Viv, it’s not necessary. I don’t leave until Monday—that gives us five days to get things done. I’ll make all the arrangements, and we’ll move you in this weekend. This way it will all be done with me here, so you won’t have anything to worry about.”

  Her eyes went wide. “What? I mean… Um… No! I don’t want you to do that. I’m…I’m not ready. I still have more packing to do and I know you have a lot to do before your trip. I don’t want you wasting your time on me. I can wait. Really.”

  He chuckled. “I know how anxious you are to move in, Viv. You hated having to wait as long as you have. All the work is done, so why continue to wait? Why inconvenience your landlord and pay to stay for a few more weeks when you don’t have to?”

  Why indeed? She swallowed hard and tried to come up with a reasonable excuse, but none came to her.

  Dammit.

  “And I know you—you have been packing for months. It wouldn’t be hard for you to power through and pack up the rest of your stuff. And, if you wanted to, we could start moving stuff over now. I have the pickup in the garage, and we could start bringing boxes over tonight if you want.” He smiled at her. “Come on. You know you want to.”

  She did. She really did. This house had been a labor of love, and the thought of moving in had been consuming her for weeks. If it weren’t for the fact that she wanted it to be perfect, she would have moved in during the renovations. The thought of all the dust and how much she would have to clean up her belongings afterward had convinced her to wait.

  Now the only thing standing between her and her beautiful new home was her own silly insecurity and Matt Reed.

  “I don’t know, Aaron. You know I hate rushing.”

  He rolled his eyes and laughed. “You are extremely organized; you can’t tell me you don’t have a to-do list sitting on your kitchen counter with everything you have to pack noted and the order in which you want it packed listed. All you have to do is start packing those things up a little sooner. It’s not going to be difficult.” He cut her off when she started to argue. “Plus, by doing it this way, we can move a couple of boxes a night, and Matt and I will even help you unpack as you go, so when the big stuff gets here, you won’t have to deal with the little stuff. Right, Matt?” He looked over at his friend for approval.

  “Absolutely,” Matt said, smiling at Vivienne. “It will give me something to do.”

  She almost snorted at the absurdity of it all. Matt Reed was going to help her move into her house and be useful? Somehow she doubted it. He probably hired people to unpack his suitcase.

  “I can see you’re doubting me,” Matt said, as if reading her thoughts. “I’ll admit it’s been a while since I had to move or do anything like this, but I’m not a complete moron.” He winked. “You tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

  Now there was a statement to make her overactive imagination go wild. Only it had nothing to do with moving boxes and unpacking, and everything to do with them kissing and being alone and continuing the fantasy of years ago.

  “Come on, Viv,” Aaron said, instantly bringing her back to the present. “We’ll finish up our dinner, and you and I will go over and pick up the first load of boxes. What do you say?”

  There wasn’t a good reason not to. She was going to have to suck it up and be a big girl and do the only thing she could—let Matt and Aaron help her move into the guesthouse and then, once her brother was gone, do everything she could to avoid the one and only Matt Reed.

  Chapter 2

  Matt paced back and forth in Aaron’s living room, his mind spinning.

  Vivienne Forrester was stunning.

  And somewhat familiar.

  The first thing that went through his mind when he’d seen her earlier was that he’d seen her somewhere before. Then he kicked himself because of course he’d seen her before—they’d practically grown up together since he and Aaron had been friends since elementary school. But the longer they sat together over dinner, the more Matt couldn’t shake the feeling he’d seen her someplace recently.

  Or somewhat recently.

  It was possible they might have crossed paths at some point while he was touring, but for the life of him he couldn’t pinpoint where. And no matter how many hints he’d dropped, Vivienne didn’t seem too anxious to fill in the blanks or to mention the last time they’d seen one another. It was beyond maddening.

  He continued to pace and began to wonder about this plan for him to stay at Aaron’s for the month. He was here for only a day and already he was getting antsy. The place wasn’t familiar, and Matt knew it wouldn’t be long before the walls started to close in on him. A month was a long time to have to stay in one place and not go out and socialize.

  And then there was Vivienne.

  She was going to be a distraction for sure. And it didn’t take a genius to realize that she not only wasn’t impressed with him and who he’d become, but she didn’t seem to like him very much either. It was going to make things difficult when she was the only person around for him to talk to. He was either going to have to confront her about why she didn’t like him, or he was going to have to turn on the charm and hope she’d eventually warm up to him.

  Dangerous territory, dude, he admonished himself. There was no way he could possibly charm her without it turning to flirtation and him wanting something more. And it wasn’t just because he was a natural flirt or because it was his go-to response around a beautiful woman.

  It was because it was Vivienne.

  Those dark, exotic eyes drew him in like nothing he’d ever experienced before. If she were anyone else and it were any other circumstances, he would have certainly made a move on her already. But it wasn’t the time, it certainly wasn’t the place, and he’d never disrespect Aaron—especially after he had taken Matt in and given him a place to stay when he quite literally had no place else to go. How shitty would he have to be to go and hit on the man’s sister right under his own roof?

  So where did that leave Matt? With nowhere to go and nothing to do and no other distractions, how was he supposed to see Vivienne and hang out with her without wanting her?

  “I guess there’s my project during my downtime,” he murmured.

  He roamed to the kitchen and then the dining room. The house was impressive. Aaron had custom designed the place and had Riley Shaughnessy’s brother Aidan build it. If Matt were to ever take the leap into home owners
hip again, a place like this was definitely to his liking.

  It was a sprawling ranch on five acres and everything inside was high-tech—from the remote control window shades to the heated floors, everything was top-of-the-line and designed for convenience as far as Matt could tell. Aaron had always been a numbers man. He had graduated from Duke University in the top ten percent of his class in economics and finance, meaning it was a piece of cake for him to become a top investment banker. Matt had always been in awe of his friend’s financial skills and even sought out his help in managing his own investments and finances, so it was little wonder the house was damn near a masterpiece with every cutting-edge upgrade you could imagine. The room Aaron had set him up in could rival any luxury resort—king-size bed, a private bath, and a seventy-two-inch flat screen TV. Staying there wasn’t going to be a hardship.

  All of the amazing designs flowed as you stepped outside too—from the outdoor kitchen and sitting area with a fireplace to the pool, and then across the yard was Vivienne’s cottage. According to Aaron, the cottage had been his idea, but it had originally been intended for guests. When Vivienne had moved back to North Carolina two years ago, after living in Denver for several years, he gave her the option of taking over the guesthouse. She had readily agreed but decided it needed a complete overhaul before she would move in.

  Apparently overhauls take two years, he thought with a chuckle. If it took two years to renovate a guest cottage, he could only imagine how long a full-sized house would take her. He was intrigued, however, to see the results. For something to take that long, he had to imagine the interior was going to be just as fantastic and high-end as the main house.

  Matt hadn’t asked what Vivienne did for a living, so maybe the cottage had been more of a hobby to her and that’s why it had taken so long. He made a mental note to ask about it when she and Aaron returned.

  He hated having to stay here and wait. No doubt he could have given them a hand at Vivienne’s place, and they could have moved twice as much, but it was too soon for him to be driving around town and risk someone recognizing him and leaking it to the press. He was already on edge as it was, waiting to see when they’d notice he wasn’t in New York anymore. He’d seen today’s headlines and knew there was already some speculation as to his whereabouts, but for now, the consensus seemed to be that he was still holed up in his condo. Hell, he hoped they held on to that thought for a little while longer so he could start to relax.

  It was a toss-up how much he wanted to follow the news. No doubt Mick would keep him up-to-date on what was going on, and Matt already had plans to put in calls to Riley, Dylan, and Julian. He’d been putting it off, but now that he was settling in for the month, he figured it would be the perfect time to call his bandmates and make sure they all didn’t hate him.

  Tomorrow.

  * * *

  “Okay, that last box in the corner should do it for tonight,” Vivienne said, scanning the room for any other items she could live without temporarily. “Once it’s loaded, we will have officially made a big dent in my packing and moving list.”

  Aaron picked up the box and walked out to the truck. When he came back in a minute later, he took the bottle of water Vivienne was holding out for him and thanked her. After a long drink, he put the bottle down on the counter and studied his sister.

  “What?” she asked with a chuckle. “You’re looking at me funny.”

  He smiled and shook his head. “What’s going on with you? You were borderline rude to Matt earlier.”

  Crap. Clearing her throat, she reached for her water and took a sip before replying. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean I know it was a shock to see him there, but you pretty much sounded like you wouldn’t move into the cottage because of him.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Geez, dramatic much?”

  “Come on, Viv. Don’t deny it.”

  She sighed. “Okay, fine. Yes, it was a bit of a surprise to see him there, and after seeing all the media stuff about what he’s going through, I kind of felt overwhelmed. If they were harassing him like that in New York, who’s to say it won’t happen here?”

  “But no one knows he’s here,” Aaron countered.

  “Yeah, for now. I’m used to being able to come and go as I please. Now I have to worry about making sure everything is locked down so no one can see Matt’s here. It’s intimidating, and I would have appreciated a heads-up.”

  He looked a bit bashful. “I wanted to tell you—I did. But after Matt and I talked, we just knew the fewer people in the know, the better. Even his agent doesn’t know he’s here.”

  “How is that even possible?”

  “Simple. He told Matt he needed to get out of town and lay low, so he did.”

  “I’m just not comfortable with all of this, Aaron. I enjoy my privacy as much as the next person, but with you out of the country for a couple of weeks, it leaves all the responsibility for Matt’s privacy on me. I’d hate to be the reason someone got into your house simply because I was careless with the security system.”

  “You’re not going to have to do anything, Viv. He’s a grown man who can take care of himself. I’m stocking the house with enough food to get him through the month.”

  “It seems a bit excessive. Surely he doesn’t think he can stay inside the entire time,” she argued.

  Aaron shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. But I want him to have that option. I’m sure he’s used to donning disguises when he’s on tour so he can go out.”

  “You do realize this is Matt we’re talking about? He was pretty much a media whore before this whole thing hit. The band was always in the tabloids because of their partying. I don’t think he would understand the concept of putting on a disguise.”

  “Well, that’s neither here nor there. If he wants to go out, then he’s going to have to take some precautions or risk someone tipping off the press.” He sighed. “Look, he just needs a break—a chance to be out of the public eye for a little while and have people around him who aren’t going to screw him. I’m not saying you have to like him or be his biggest fan, but could you please just be nice to him at least?”

  If only he realized just what he was asking of her.

  “I’m not making any promises…”

  Coming around the kitchen island, Aaron hugged her. “You’re the best!” When he stepped away, he took another look around the room. “Are you sure there isn’t anything else you want to take tonight?”

  Vivienne shook her head. “I think we’re off to a good start. We’ll get them all over to the cottage and unpack them, and then I can bring all these boxes back with me and reuse them. It will be a great way to keep track of how much we can realistically get done in a night.”

  “So you want to do this every night?” he asked.

  She glanced at him suspiciously. “You said that’s what we’d do!”

  He grinned. “Just checking.”

  She swatted his arm playfully. “I just hope you can get the movers to come this weekend. I’m not sure how you’re going to pull that one off.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll make it happen. And as overwhelmed as you’re feeling, you are going to be so happy when you get to sleep in your new home.”

  Vivienne couldn’t help but smile because he was totally right.

  “And you’ll be even happier because we moved all these boxes beforehand and you’ll be almost completely unpacked. It will be like moving perfection.” Then he stepped back and took a dramatic bow. “You’re welcome.”

  “You’re a doofus.” She laughed, and together they made their way out of the town house. Vivienne locked the door and then followed Aaron out to the truck. “You know this isn’t going to be a quick and easy process, right?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, coming here and loading the boxes was easy because they were all piled up and
ready to go. Unloading them will take longer—especially since I didn’t have time to prep the cottage and may not have everything I need to unpack the way I want to.”

  “So why don’t we just put the boxes inside while you make a list of what you’ll need, and then tomorrow we’ll tackle the unpacking?”

  He did have a point, she thought. “What time can you meet me tomorrow to pick up the next load?”

  “I have to go into the office for a while, but I can probably be to you by four. I’ll swing by and pick up the next load, and we’ll order pizza for dinner and eat at the cottage while we unpack. How does that sound?”

  She couldn’t help but grin. Things were falling into place and they had a plan. “Perfect.”

  * * *

  “This is the last box.”

  Vivienne looked around the room and then pointed to the far corner. “You can put it over there.” She stopped and paused when she noticed Matt standing and looking at her, but not moving. “Please.”

  He grinned. “There. That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Walking across the room, he placed the box where she requested and then stretched. Apparently he was a little more out of shape than he’d realized. Moving a dozen boxes should have been a breeze, but he was beginning to feel a couple of twinges of pain.

  And he was going to keep that information to himself.

  Aaron strode back into the house and looked around. “Okay, kiddo. That’s everything for tonight. Are you going to unpack any of them, or are we waiting for tomorrow night?”

  “I think I’ll wait until tomorrow night so I can have some time to think about what I’m going to need to get started. How about…” Her words were cut off by the sound of Aaron’s phone ringing.

  “Damn,” he muttered and then looked up at Matt and Vivienne. “Sorry. I need to take this. I’ll see you tomorrow, Viv, and I’ll see you back at the house,” he said to Matt. He walked out as he answered the phone.

  Matt took a moment and considered his options—he could stay and try to break the ice between him and Vivienne, or he could follow Aaron back to the house and do…nothing. He sighed. He seriously had nothing to do. Dammit.